This is an old article, but they are clearly stating the differences between the two characters. So I think it is probable to see the necromancer comming back with it's bone spear and raise skeleton armies from laying corpses in a expansion.

And in my opinion, the Witch Doctor doesn't make a replacement at all. He doesn't inspire me. I'm playing the Demon Hunter because I like the "Dark Side" of the character.

The reason they shelved the Necromancer was because the gameplay is limited by their laws so they weren't allowed to improve the character much in Diablo 3 as they wanted to put new and different stuff. The Barbarian originally called the Berzerker got new skills and improvement the fit the Diablo 3 gameplay. A necromancer cannot be more than skeleton armies, golems, poison, bone, curses and explosions.

I have faith in a Necromancer return in the next expansion.

EDIT : I also think it was a good thing to not include him in the initial release of Diablo 3 with all the flaws and imbalancing issues. I'm sure that when they will release an expansion, the game will be up to the fanbase expectations. They have to improve the npcs from the lore (Jondar, Mephis and the Dying Necromancer) to a complete playable hero. They will have few more year to come up with a polished character.

@NeoEpyon there's at least two different necromancers in Act 2; one of which claims that the necromancer from Diablo 2 was his mentor. And the other one dies.

On once hand, it could be kinda neat if necromancer, or other character classes from Diablo 2, made a playable appearance on D3 in an expansion. Or maybe it could be a 'skin' option to playing existing classes in D3. So you play like you're a current class, but look like something from D2

Logically, it won't be a matter if we have two types of corpse raising abilities like the Witch Doctor, Necromancer and a bit like the Druid himself.

My main concern is, since we will be having like 4 people playing at the same time, imagine if we would have 4 necromancers? If the necromancer will be brought back in D2, the whole screen will be filled with pets. This may affect the latency and the server will run busy.

Unless if there's a limitations when spawning the pets.

Plus, D3 maps are too small to handle pets. Blizzard should fix this part too in the next coming expansion.

For me, I'd like to see my Sorcerer type hero. Wizard and Sorc are different type I believe. Blizzard can make one uniquely.

Sorceress: 100% found in Wizard -------Not coming backNecromancer: 50% found in WDPaladin: 50% found in MonkAssassin: 100% found between Monk and DH -------Not coming backDruid: Not foundBarbarian: 100% found in himself ---------- already backAmazon: 50% found in DH

I'd love to see a Necromancer class that can be a caster/melee hybrid, with access to polearms, spears, or scythes with poisonous melee abilities, bone magic for protection, and curses to enhance damage or weaken enemies - think of a Black Knight in bone armor.

Alternatively, offensive bone magic and caster heavy spells would be great to see again - Bonespear and Bone Spirit please! I would love to see Bonewall with all the different glyphs to change it as well; such as a bone cage that traps enemies within, and skeletons spawn inside the cage to torture the victim.

Skeletal and Golem summoning would be good for either a caster or warrior Necromancer. I'd love to see a revamped Iron Golem, with spiked mace fist on one hand, and a glaived fist on the other; weapon damage type and attributes effects the properties of the golem - reflect damage, life regen, life steal, weaken on hit etc. Also, i'd love to see revive dead ability from D2 improved, and you can have permanent minions from dead enemies at your selection - undead Khazra please!

I'd love to see a Necromancer class that can be a caster/melee hybrid, with access to polearms, spears, or scythes with poisonous melee abilities, bone magic for protection, and curses to enhance damage or weaken enemies - think of a Black Knight in bone armor.

Alternatively, offensive bone magic and caster heavy spells would be great to see again - Bonespear and Bone Spirit please! I would love to see Bonewall with all the different glyphs to change it as well; such as a bone cage that traps enemies within, and skeletons spawn inside the cage to torture the victim.

Skeletal and Golem summoning would be good for either a caster or warrior Necromancer. I'd love to see a revamped Iron Golem, with spiked mace fist on one hand, and a glaived fist on the other; weapon damage type and attributes effects the properties of the golem - reflect damage, life regen, life steal, weaken on hit etc. Also, i'd love to see revive dead ability from D2 improved, and you can have permanent minions from dead enemies at your selection - undead Khazra please!

They can't mix Necromancer's spells with new stuff. They just can't and they won't. I don't know if you have read all the Diablo novels and lore, but I did. The Necromancer is almost the principal character of every novels and he his quiet defined. Probably the Chris Metzen's favorite. The Necromancers NPCs in Diablo 3 share the same mecanics you have seen in Diablo 2 and found in books. Rathma being the 1st one and Trag-Oul as the Aspect of balance between Hell and Heaven. The Balance being ported on the High Heavens side at the end of Diablo 3 will lead Trag-Oul to summon new Necromancers to bring back the Balance in the next expansion.

Blizzard appears to have gone out of their way to not tread over old ground (barb excepted). WD is as close to a necro as you will ever see. If new classes are ever added, I would expect them to be something quite different than what we have known from previous Diablo franchises.

The Necromancer is almost the principal character of every novels and he his quiet defined. Probably the Chris Metzen's favorite. The Necromancers NPCs in Diablo 3 share the same mecanics you have seen in Diablo 2 and found in books. Rathma being the 1st one and Trag-Oul as the Aspect of balance between Hell and Heaven.

Exactly this. Necromancers, female and male, have taken place in too many Diablo stories to not appear in Diablo 3

Also, the "dark yet peaceful balance" Rathma seeks~that's something none other classes can ever accomplish. Not even the Demon Hunter can do that.

Witch Doctor, on the other hand, is just a Warcraft troll ripoff....even if it's a good one. It can never replace Necromancer in my heart, and that of many old Diablo fans